Combined typewriting and computing machine



May 29, 1928. 1,671,495

0. THIEME COMBINED TYPEWRITING AND COMPUTING MACHINE Filed Apr i1 20.1926 f mvenfarr d] Affar/vey Patented May 29, 1928.

UNITED STATES 1,671,495 PATENT OFFICE.

orro THIEME, or HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR T unnnnwoon COMPUTINGMACHINE COMPANY, on NEW YORK, N. Y., A conronn rron on NEW YORK.

COMBINED TYPEWRITING AND COMPUTING MACHINE.

Application filed April 20,

This invention relates to combined type- 1 writing and computingmachines of the Underwood-Hanson type, one of which is illustrated inthe patent to Grumprecht, N0.

1,237,895, dated August 21, 1917.

The numeral-keys of the typewriter set up pins associated with computingwheels, the set pins being subsequently employed to determine the extentof rotation of the several wheels.

The pin-carrying members are moved to setting positions, one at a time,during the letter-space movement of the carriage, and, finally, themembers are all advanced simultaneously by means of a general operator,

which engages the depressed pins and rotates the computing wheelscorresponding amounts.

In order that the computing mechanism may be silenced during themovement of the carriage through a computing zone, there is provided aseries of selecting tappets which are rockably mounted on a cross-shaftmounted on the carriage, the tappets having teeth which engage withslots in a cross-bar also carried by the carriage and which prevents thelateral displacement of the tappets. On each tappet is pivoted a cammingdog which actuates a series of jacks associated with the pin-carryingmembers. The tappets are held idle by gravity, but are thrown upwardlyto their eflective positions by selecting rolls that are mounted at therear of the carriage.

When tabulating the carriage, especially in long jumps, the tappets areliable to jar loose because of the sudden stop of the carriage. Thisrequires very careful handling of the machine. To guard against thisinconvenience there is provided, according to certain features of thisinvention, a crossbar which extends the width of the machine,

. and is held overlying the tappets in a position to prevent theiraccidental displacement,

and not interfere with their working displacement. Said cross-bar iseasily removed in order to make changes in the setting of the tappets,but is normally held in positively locked position by means of asuitable latch. In order to stiffen the cross-bar, there are provided aplurality of supporting brackets movable to diifere'nt osjtions, so thatthe brackets will not inter ere with the proper and convenient locatingof the selecting tappets.

1926. Serial No. 103,249.

Other features and advantages will hereinafter appear. 4

In the accompanying drawings,

Figure 1 is a cross-sectional view, in elevation, showing the carriageof an Underwood-Hanson typewriting machine, and selecting mechanismcontrolled by said carriage, the tappets being shown in theirineffective positions.

Figure 2 is a similar view, but shows the tappets in their eifectivepositions.

Figure 3 is a plan view, showing the tappets and means for preventingtheir displacement.

Figure 4 is a front view of the parts shown in Figure 3, the front partof the typewriting machine being removed. I

Figure 5 is a skeleton view, and shows the means for preventing thedisplacement of the tappets. I

Figure 6 is an operating view, showing the flexing of the cross-barwhich holds the tappets in their normal positions.

Figure 7 is a cross-sectional view through line 77 of Figure 3.

In order that the pin-carrying members in the computing mechanism may bemoved into active positions co-operating with the numeral-keys for thesetting of the pins as the carriage is letter-spaced, there is providedmechanism in said Underwood-Hanson machine, which, while not shown inthe drawings, is fully described in said Grumprecht Patent, No.1,237,895. Said mecha nism includes, in addition to the mechanism 90shown insaid patent, a carriage 10, slidably mounted on rails 11, fastto the machineframe 12. he carriage carries at the rear thereof brackets13 fast thereto by means of screws 14. Each of the brackets 13 isprovided with another bracket 15, which extends outwardly and upwardlyat 16. The brackets 15 serve as supporting members for cross-shafts 17and 18. Slidably mounted on the shaft 17, there is provided a plurality190 of tappets 19 which have teeth 20 designed to engage in slots 21 inthe shaftor rockbar 18. The tappcts are normally held by gravity inineffective positions, as shown in Figure 1, but may be swung toefiective 105 working positions, as shown in Figure 2, when a roller 22,revolubly mounted on the tappets 19, engages a zone-controlling roller23. Each of the tappetfs 19 is provided with a camming dog 24, whichengages with no lever-jacks 25, pivotall mounted at 26, and therebyswivels the jac s in a manner to depress links 27, which are effectiveto move the associated pin-carrying members to their pin-settingpositions.

Owing to the fact that the tappets 19 are loosely mounted on the shaft17, for the purpose of swin ing them out of engagement with the she t18, to thereby reposition the tappets, it is easy to accidentally throwthe tappets out of engagement with the shaft 18 by a violent swinging ofthe controlling roller 23. It is also possible to displace the tappetswhen tabulating the carriage, especially when the carriage is jumpedover a long distance. When tabulating the carriage, a

tabulator stop 28 is thrust upwardly in front of a carriage stop 29, theescapementmechanism is disconnected from the carriage, and the tappetsare liable to be jarred loose, owing to the sudden arrest of thecarriage, in which case the tappets might swing upwardly, out ofengagement with the teeth in the shaft 17.

According to certain features of this invention, there are'provided across or stop bar 30 and means for securing said bar to the brackets 15,which serve also as supporting elements for the shafts 17 and 18, whichare secured thereto by means of the reduced threaded ends 31 and nuts32. The extensions 16 are provided with holes 33 (Figure 5) forreceiving one end 34 of the bar 30 and a lock 35 which is slidablymounted on the opposite end of the bar 30. In order that the lock may beresiliently held either in its open or closed position, there isprovided a spring 36 which bears against the lock 35. The spring 36 isheld in its normal position by means of screws 37, and has a depression38 designed to engage in a hole 39 in the lock 35, to thereby determinethe operating position of the lock 35. The lock 35 is operated by meansof a finger-piece 40, and is slidably mounted on the screws 37 whichpass through an elongated slot 41 in the lock. The locking end of thebar 30 has a cut-away portion 42 to receive the end of the lock 35,which is offset at the end thereof, so that the lock and the bar willboth be in the same plane.

.In order to hold the bar 30 in a straight condition, and to prevent thesame from springing under a sudden impact of the tappets, there areprovided supporting plates 43 slidably mounted on the shafts 1'7 and 18,as shown in Figure 5. Said plates are provided with hubs 44 fast to theplates, which hubs serve as the means for holding the plates in verticalpositions and provide clearance for the shaft 18 when they are slidalong the shaft 17. To further ensure clearance between the plates andthe shaft 18, the plates are. provided with downwardly-extending ears45, which bear upon the carriage-stop rack 46,thereby precluding anypossibility of the plates engaging with the slots 21, when moved from'one position to another to avoid possible interference with a settingof the tappets.

The bar 30 is removed prior to changing the position of the tappets 19,and to this end it is necessary to pull the lock inwardly, and then toflex the bar, as shown in Figure 6, in which position it is thenpossible to withdraw the bar from engagement within the hole 33 in oneof the extensions 16. The bar is then twisted in a triangular hole 47,as shown in Figure 7, so as to facilitate its easy withdrawal fromengagemenhwith the plates 43 by passing the bar 30 through an aperture48.

The stop-bar 30 in overlying the series of tappets 19 provides for aclearance space or gap between the bar and the upper edges of thetappets which permits each tappet to be raised by the roller 23 tocompute, but prevents the accidental release of the tappets from therack-bar 18.

Variations may be resorted to within the scope of the invention, andportions of the improvements ma be used without others.

Having thus escribed my invention, I claim:

1. In a combined typewriting and computing mechanism having acarriage,means for preventing the accidental displacement of swiveleddenominational select ng tappets, including a stop-bar movable with thecarriage and disposed longitudinally over the tappets.

2. In a combined typewriting and computing mechanism, means forpreventing the accidental displacement of swiveled denominationalselecting tappets, said means including a fixed cross-bar overlying thetappets, and means for supporting and locking the bar in its effectiveposition.

3. In a combined typewriting and computing mechanism, means forpreventing the accidental displacement of swiveled denominationalselecting tappets, said means including a fixed cross-bar overlying thetappets, and means for supporting and locking the bar in its effectiveposition, said last-mentioned means including a pair of fixed brackets,said brackets having holes for receiving the ends of said cross-bar, anda locking member for holding said cross-bar in its effective position.

4. In a combined typewriting and computing mechanism, means forpreventin the accidental displacement of denominational selectingtappets, said means including a sto -bar, fixed brackets for receivingthe en s of said sto -bar, a latch-member for locking said stoper in itseffective position, and means for resiliently holding said latchmemberin either effective or ineffective position.

5. In a combined typewriting and computing mechanism, means forpreventing the accidental displacement of denominational selectingtappets including a stop-bar, fixed brackets for receiving the ends ofsaid stopbar, a latch-member for locking said stopbar in its effectiveposition, and means for resiliently holding said latch-member in eithereffective or ineifective position, said last-mentioned means including aflat spring fixed to said stop-bar, and screws for holding said spring,the latch-member being slidably mounted on said screws, between the spunand said bar.

6. n a combined t-ypewriting and com-' puting mechanism, means forpreventing the accidental displacement of swiveled denominationalselecting tappets including a stopbar, end-supporting brackets for saidstopbar, said supporting brackets being carried by the carriage, andintermediate supporting brackets for preventing deflection of saidstop-bar, between the end-supporting brackets, said inner brackets beingslidable along the stop-bar to avoid a tappet position.

7. In a combined typewriting and computing mechanism having swiveledtappets for controlling denominational selecting jacks, said tappetsbeing laterally located by engagement with a fixed rack and beingsettable by disengaging said tappets from the rack, means for lockingthe tappets in their effective positions to prevent their accidentaldisplacement, said means including a crossbar and means for supportingand locking the cross-bar in a position to preventthe tappets from disenaging the rack.

8. In'a combine typewriting and computing mechanism having swiveledtappets for controlling denominational selecting jacks, said tappetsbeing laterally located by engagement with a fixed rack and beingsettable by disengaging said tappets from the rack, means for lockingthe tappets in their effective positions to prevent their accidentaldisplacement, said means includin end-supporting brackets, a cross-barover ying said tappets in a manner to prevent the tappets fromdisengaging the rack, said crossbar being detachably mounted in saidsupporting brackets, and means for preventing the deflection of saidbar, said last-mentioned means including center brackets slidablymounted on a supporting shaft, upon which the tappets are swiveled.

9. In a combined typewriting and con1- puting mechanism having swiveledtappets for controlling denominational selecting jacks, said tappetsbeing laterally located by engagement with a fixed rack and being settable by disengaging said tappets from the rack, means for locking thetappets in their effective positions to prevent their accidentaldisplacement, said means including end-supporting brackets, a cross-baroverlying said tappets in a manner to prevent the tappets fromdisengaging the rack, said cross-bar being detachably mounted in saidsupporting brackets, means for preventing the de fiection of said bar,said last-mentioned means including center brackets slidably mounted ona supporting shaft, upon which the tappets are swiveled, and means forlocking the cross-bar in its efiective position, said last-mentionedmeans including a latch slid'ably mounted on the cross-bar at one endthereof, said latch being movable into engagement with a slot in one ofthe end-supporting brackets, and means for resiliently holding saidlatch in its efiective position.

10. In a combined typewriting and computing machine having a rack-barand a series of denominational selecting tappets upon the rack-bar andindividually swingable from an inoperative to an operative position tocompute, each tappet being also swingable individually a greaterdistance torelease it for readjustment along said rackbar, and meanscommon to the whole series of tappets to prevent the accident-a1 releaseof any tappet from the rack-bar while permitting sufiicient swinging ofany tappet to compute.

OTTO THIEME.

